Magneto-optical record carrier with recording track structure suited for high density recording

ABSTRACT

A magneto-optical record carrier having a recording track structure which enables recording with an increased information density. Information areas which are smaller than the write spot supplied by a first diode laser can be written by means of a switched magnetic field. The areas can then be read with a read spot which is smaller than the write spot, which read spot is formed by radiation from, for example, the combination of a second diode laser and a frequency doubler. The width of the recording tracks determines the width of the information areas recorded thereon.

This is a division of application Ser. No. 08/166,804, filed Dec. 14,1993, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,442,597, which is a continuation ofapplication Ser. No. 07/790,107, filed Nov. 8, 1991, abandoned, andwhich is a continuation of application Ser. No. 07/347,610, filed May 2,1989 , abandoned.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of the Invention

The invention relates to a method of writing and subsequent reading ofinformation in a magneto-optical information layer of a record carrierby means of diode laser radiation, which radiation is focused to adiffraction-limited radiation spot on the information layer, and bymeans of a movement of said radiation spot and the record carrierrelative to each other, information being written by locally changing,at the location of the radiation spot formed by the write beam, thedirection of magnetization of areas in the information layer by means ofa diode laser write beam and a magnetic field, the information areasthus formed being read by detection of the variation, caused by theinformation areas, of the state of polarization of a diode laser readbeam. The invention also relates to an apparatus for performing themethod and to a magneto-optical record carrier suitable for use of saidmethod.

2. Description of the Related Art

Such a method and apparatus are known from, for example the Article"Experiments towards an erasable Compact Disc Digital Audio System" in"Audio Engineering Society", 73 Conv., 1983, pp. 1-14 and the associatednine Figures. The apparatus described in this Article comprises a diodelaser for supplying a write beam as well as a read beam. The two beamsare focused to a diffraction-limited radiation spot having a half valuewidth of the order of 1 μm. The size of the written information area, inthe form of a magnetic domain, is determined by the dimension of thisradiation spot. In the known system the information area is round andhas a diameter of the order of 1 μm and the information density is ofthe order of 400,000 bits per mm². The information density may beincreased to approximately 1,000,000 bits per mm².

There is an ever increasing need of information densities which arelarger than the ones stated above, so that more information can berecorded in a record carrier of the same dimensions. To this end it mustbe possible to write and read information areas in a magneto-opticalrecord carrier, which areas are smaller than the ones that have hithertobeen conventional. Within the present concept of magneto-opticalinformation recording in which one radiation source and one radiationspot are used for writing and reading, the envisaged object can berealised by reducing this radiation spot.

Since the size of the diffraction-limited radiation spot is proportionalto λ/NA, in which λ is the wavelength of the radiation used and NA isthe numerical aperture of the objective system used, the radiation spotcan only be reduced by decreasing the wavelength and/or increasing thenumerical aperture. An increase of the numerical aperture involves adecrease of the depth of focus of the radiation beam, so that therequirements imposed on the focusing of the radiation beam will becomemore stringent. Moreover, an objective system having a larger numericalaperture is more sensitive to aberrations so that more stringenttolerance requirements must be imposed on the write-read apparatus. Ifit is desirable to continue the use of a diode laser as a radiationsource, which is necessary in a mass product which the magneto-opticalwrite-read apparatus is intended to be, it is not a real possibility todecrease the wavelength of the radiation beam, because there are noshort wavelength diode lasers which have a sufficiently high power forthe writing operation.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The present invention provides a novel concept of magneto-opticalinformation recording enabling known techniques to be combined in such away that an increase of the information density on a magneto-opticalrecord carrier can be realised with simple means.

This novel concept results in a novel method of writing and reading amagneto-optical record carrier, which is characterized by the followingcombination of measures:

information areas, whose dimension in the direction of movement issmaller than that of the write-radiation spot, are written by switchingthe magnetic field in time intervals which are shorter than the timeinterval required to move the record carrier and the radiation spot withrespect to each other over a distance which is equal to the dimension ofthe radiation spot in the direction of movement,

reading is effected by means of a diode laser beam whose wavelength isshorter than that of the diode laser beam with which writing iseffected.

Since the writing and reading operations no longer require one and thesame radiation beam, but beams with different wavelengths and differentpowers, greatly reduced information areas can be written by means ofknown techniques and these areas can be read with a greatly reduced readspot, while nevertheless using conventional diode lasers.

It is to be noted that it is known per se, for example from GermanPatent Application no. 3,200,134, to provide information areas in theform of magnetic domains in a magneto-optical record carrier by means ofa scanning laser beam focused to a radiation spot and by means of amagnetic field switched at a high frequency, such the dimensions ofthese information areas in the scanning direction is smaller than thedimension of the radiation spot. In this method the entire area of theinformation layer under the radiation spot is first magnetized in adirection opposed to the original direction of magnetization of theinformation layer. Subsequently, while a part of the radiation spot isstill over the said area, the magnetic field is reversed so that thesaid part of the area again acquires the original direction ofmagnetization. The German Patent Application no. 3,200,134 does notstate how the magnetic domains thus obtained with a reduced dimension inthe scanning direction can be read.

Furthermore, it is known, for example from the Article "Blue-Light Laserups CD Density" in "Electronics", August 1988, p. 48 that when readingan optical record carrier use can be made of the combination of aconventional diode laser which emits infrared radiation and a so-calledfrequency doubler in the form of a non-linear optical crystal. Thiscombination yields a blue laser beam having a wavelength of the order of400 nm with which a read spot can be formed whose diameter isapproximately half that of a radiation spot formed by a beam from thediode laser alone. However, this Article also states that the intensityof the blue radiation spot is too small to write information areas withit and that the reduced information areas can only be written with ablue laser of a higher power, such as a gas laser.

According to the present invention the techniques described in the twoabove-mentioned Articles are combined for the first time, which ispossible by abandoning the idea that one radiation source must be usedfor writing and reading a magneto-optical record carrier.

By using the inventive concept the dimension of the information areas inthe scanning direction is considerably reduced so that the informationdensity in this direction is considerably increased.

To increase the information density also in a direction transverse tothe scanning direction, use is made, in accordance with a second aspectof the present invention, of a record carrier which is characterized bya structure of previously provided tracks whose width substantiallydetermines the width of the information areas.

Since the tracks are physically or geometrically distinguished from therest of the information layer, it is achieved that the information areasremain enclosed within the tracks. In principle, this reduces the riskof crosstalk and the tracks may be located slightly closer to oneanother, provided that it is prevented that the read spot covers notonly a track to be read but also a part of a contiguous track.

This record carrier is preferably further characterized in that theperiod of the track structure, transverse to the track direction, issmaller than 1.4 μm.

This track period is smaller than the track period conventionally usedin the current optical record carrier, which conventional period ischosen to be able to use simple optical systems and conventional diodelasers.

A first embodiment of a record carrier in which the effect of enclosureof the information areas within the tracks is realised, is characterizedin that the track structure is a relief structure and in that themagneto-optical layer has a constant thickness and comprises a materialin which during writing information areas are formed by means ofmagnetic domains starting from a core and expanding outwardly.

In this material, which is referred to as bubble-model material inliterature, for example in the Article "Thermomagnetic Writing in TbFe:Modelling and Comparison with Experiment" in "J. Appln. Phys." 64 (1),July 1988, pp. 252-261, a magnetic domain is formed in that firstly asmall magnetic domain (core) is formed in the centre of the write spotand subsequently the wall of this core moves outwards provided withsufficient energy is supplied. The relief tracks may consist of groovesin or ridges on a support of the magneto-optical material, which trackshave walls with a given slope so that the transitions from the bottom orthe top of a track to the wall thereof are sharply kinked. These wallsconstitute a barrier against the expansion of a domain outside thetrack. In order to cause the domains to expand outside a track, aquantity of extra energy is required which is not available because theradiation spot is moved at a comparatively large speed relative to therecord carrier.

The first embodiment of the record carrier is, for example furthercharacterized in that the magneto-optical material is an alloy ofGadolinium-Terbium-Iron.

This material has an outstanding "bubble" effect and, if combined with arelief track structure, it is well suitable to attain the desiredconstriction of the information areas.

It is to be noted that it is known per se, for example from theabove-mentioned Article in "Audio Eng., Soc.", 73rd Conv. 1983, pp.1-14, to make use of a record carrier with previously provided tracks ina magneto-optical information recording system. In the known systemsthese tracks are only used as servo-tracks so as to achieve that theinformation areas are inscribed in accordance with accurately determinedtracks. In the system according to the present invention these tracksare also used to limit the dimension of the information areas transverseto the track direction.

Another record carrier according to the invention, in which the effectof enclosure of the domains within the tracks is realised, ischaracterized in that the magneto-optical layer within the tracks has agreater sensitivity to magnetization than outside the tracks.

A first embodiment of this record carrier is characterized in that themagneto-optical layer within the tracks has a different chemicalcomposition than outside these tracks.

Consequently, the energy required for forming a magnetic domain within atrack is smaller than the energy required for forming a magnetic domainoutside a track.

A second embodiment of this record carrier is characterized in that thethickness of the magneto-optical layer within a track is different fromthat outside a track.

It is to be noted that it is known per se from U.S. Pat. No. 4,176,377to provide tracks in an optical record carrier which are more sensitiveto the write energy than are areas outside the tracks so as to be ableto form narrow information areas with a relatively large write spot.However, the information areas of the known record carrier are notreduced in the track direction as well. Moreover, U.S. Pat. No.4,176,377 does not reveal how the constricted information areas can beread optimally.

The use of record carriers with narrow tracks only makes sense incombination with the method according to the invention, because it isonly then that during writing the possibilities of this record carriercan be utilized to an optimal extent with relatively simple means andthat subsequently the information tracks can be read without anycrosstalk.

A further aspect of the invention relates to the apparatus forperforming the novel method. This apparatus, which comprises a radiationsource for supplying a scanning beam, an objective system for focusingthe scanning beam to a scanning spot on the information layer, amagnetic system for generating a magnetic field at the location of thescanning spot and a radiation-sensitive detection system for convertingradiation from the record carrier into electric signals, ischaracterized in that the radiation source is a composite source forsupplying a write radiation beam having a first wavelength and a firstintensity for forming a write radiation spot, and for supplying a readradiation beam having a second wavelength, which is shorter than thefirst wavelength, and a second intensity, which is smaller than thefirst intensity, for forming a read radiation spot which is smaller thanthe write radiation spot.

This apparatus is preferably further characterized in that the radiationsource is constituted by a first diode laser for supplying a writeradiation beam having a first wavelength and by an assembly of a seconddiode laser and an optical frequency-doubling element for supplying aread radiation beam having a second wavelength of the order of half thefirst wavelength.

If a diode laser becomes available which itself emits the short-waveblue radiation with a sufficient power, such a blue diode laser can beused for reading instead of the said assembly of a red diode laser and afrequency-doubling element.

A second embodiment of the apparatus is characterized in that theradiation source is constituted by one diode laser, a controllabledeflection element arranged in the path of the diode laser beam forselecting one of two radiation paths for the diode laser beam, and afrequency-doubling element arranged in one of the two radiation paths.

The deflection element may be constituted by an adjustable refractive orreflective element, such as a prism, but also by an electro-opticalelement, for example an electro-optical modulator such as a so-calledBragg deflector.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

Embodiments of the invention will now be described in greater detailwith reference to the accompanying drawings in which

FIG. 1 shows a known write-read apparatus for a magneto-optical recordcarrier,

FIG. 2 shows in a cross-section a part of an information track inscribedby means of this apparatus,

FIG. 3 shows the dimension of the information areas inscribed by meansof the known apparatus relative to the dimension of the write spot andthe read spot used in this apparatus,

FIG. 4 shows the dimension of the information areas inscribed by meansof the apparatus according to the invention relative to the write spotand the read spot used in this apparatus,

FIG. 5 illustrates the principle of writing shortened information areas,

FIG. 6 shows an embodiment of the magneto-optical write and readapparatus according to the invention,

FIGS. 7a and 7b show alternative embodiments of the composite radiationsource to be used in this apparatus,

FIG. 8 shows in a radial cross-section a part of a first embodiment of amagneto-optical record carrier with previously provided tracks,

FIG. 9 shows the dimensions of information areas inscribed in such arecord carrier relative to the dimension of the write spot and the readspot, and

FIGS. 10 and 11 show in radial cross-sections parts of a second and athird embodiment of a magneto-optical record carrier with previouslyprovided tracks.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

In FIG. 1 the reference numeral 1 denotes a magneto-optical recordcarrier comprising a transparent substrate 2 and a magnetic informationlayer 3. This information layer is irradiated by a radiation beam bsupplied by a source 10. This source is constituted by a diode laser,for example an AlGaAs laser which emits radiation at a wavelength of theorder of, for example 800 nm. A part of the radiation emitted by thediode laser is received by a collimator lens 11 and is focused to adiffraction-limited scanning spot V with a half value width of the orderof 1 μm in the information plane by an objective system 12 which isshown diagrammatically by means of a single lens.

Information areas in the form of magnetic domains can be written in thelayer 3 by controlling the diode laser in such a way that it emits lightpulses having a pulse duration of, for example 50 nsec and intervals of,for example 250 nsec. The peak power of such a pulse is, for example 40mWatt of which ultimately, for example 10 mWatt reaches the radiationspot V due to losses in the radiation path. This power is sufficientlyhigh to heat the area on the information layer 3 to a given temperature,for example 200° C. The magnetic layer 3 is premagnetized in a givendirection, indicated by the arrow M₁. By heating the layer 3 at thelocation of the radiation spot V, the coercive force in situ decreasesand the direction of magnetization can be locally reversed, inaccordance with the arrow M₂ in FIG. 1, by means of a relatively smallexternal magnetic field generated with the aid of a magnetic coil 13.After the laser pulse has been terminated, the material of the layer 3cools down again, freezing, as it were, the direction of magnetizationM₂.

By moving the radiation spot V and the record carrier 1 with respect toeach other, for example by rotating the record carrier around the shaft15 in the case of a round disc-shaped record carrier, a plurality ofinformation areas can be written one after the other in the scanningdirection so that an information track is obtained. FIG. 2 shows a smallportion of such an information track in a cross-section. The areas ofthe information layer 3 where the direction of magnetization has beenreversed (M₂) are indicated by information areas 4 and the areas whichhave maintained the original direction of magnetization (M₁) arereferred to as intermediate areas 5. A plurality of tracks can bewritten one next to the other by moving the radiation spot V and therecord carrier 1 with respect to each other in a direction perpendicularto the plane of the drawing in FIG. 1, which in the case of a rounddisc-shaped record carrier is the radial direction.

There are different possibilities of writing the information. In thefirst place, as already stated hereinbefore, the control current for thediode laser 10 can be modulated by means of the control circuit 16 withthe information signal S_(i) to be written, so that the laser emitsradiation pulses in accordance with the signal to be written. Themagnetic field is then continuously present during the writing process.

A second possibility is to switch the magnetic field between thedirections M₁ and M₂ in accordance with the information to be written.Then the signal S_(i) to be written is applied to a control circuit 14which supplies the electric current for the coil 13. The diode laser canthen either supply a continuous beam or a beam pulsed at a fixedfrequency, a so-called clock frequency.

When reading the written information, use is made again of the diodelaser 10 in the apparatus according to FIG. 1. However, this laser isthen operated at a considerably lower power, for example ten timeslower, than during the writing process, so that the recorded informationis not affected. Preferably, the record carrier is reflecting so thatthe beam incident on the information layer and modulated by this layerin accordance with the written information is reflected towards theobjective system 12. The radiation path incorporates a semi-transparentelement, for example a 70% transparent mirror or prism 17 which reflectsa portion of the reflected and modulated read beam b' towards aradiation-sensitive detection system 18. In the embodiment of FIG. 1 alens 19 for concentrating the radiation on the detection system 18 isarranged between the element 17 and this system.

Reading of the information layer is based on the change which theinformation areas, or domains, 4 cause in the state of polarization ofthe read beam. To detect this change, a polarization analyser 20 isarranged in tile radiation path in front of the detection system 18,which analyser converts the polarization modulation into an intensitymodulation which is converted into an electric signal S_(O) by thedetection system. A polarizer 21 whose direction of polarizationeffectively extends at an angle of, for example 85° to that of theanalyser 20 may be arranged in the radiation path of the projected readbeam b.

In order to be able to find out whether during reading the read spot iscentred on the information track and/or whether the read beam is focusedon the information plane, a semi-transparent, for example 90%transparent mirror or prism 22 may be arranged in the radiation path ofthe reflected beam b', which mirror or prism reflects a part of thisbeam towards a second radiation-sensitive detection system 23. Theelectric signals supplied by this detection system are used to correcttracking and focusing. Also during writing the tracking and focusservo-systems may be used, utilizing the part of the write beamreflected by the record carrier. For further particulars about writingand reading of a magneto-optical record carrier and about the apparatustherefor reference may be made to the above-mentioned Article in "AudioEng. Soc." 78th Conv. 1983, pp. 1-14, and to the Article "ErasableMagneto-Optical Recording" in "Philips Techn. Rev." 42, No. 2, August1985, pp. 37-47.

In the apparatus according to FIG. 1 the write spot and the read spothave the same dimension, which dimension also determines the dimensionof the information areas. FIG. 3 shows the write spot V_(w) of thisapparatus and a plurality of information areas 4 written by means ofthis spot. The information areas are arranged in accordance with aninformation track 30. This track is only partly written. During writingthe write spot moves to the right with respect to the information plane,in accordance with the arrow 32. In the situation shown in FIG. 3 thewrite spot is present above a non-inscribed portion and at a positionwhere a subsequent information area can be written. The informationtrack is afterwards read by means of the read spot V_(r) which isindicated at the left in FIG. 3.

According to the present invention use is made of a radiation spotduring writing which is different from the radiation spot used duringreading, the purpose of which is to be able to write and read smallerinformation areas than those shown in FIG. 3. FIG. 4 showsdiagrammatically the principle of this invention. Analogously as in FIG.3, this Figure shows inscribed information areas 4, the write spot v_(w)and the read spot V_(r) '. In principle, the write spot V_(w) has thesame dimension and intensity as that in FIG. 3. This radiation spot isobtained by focusing, by means of the objective system 12 of FIG. 1, alaser beam from, for example an AlGaAs diode laser which emits radiationat a wavelength of, for example 800 nm and has a sufficiently largepower for writing. This spot has a half value width of, for example 1μm.

To be able to write information areas with a surface area which issmaller than the size of this write spot, use is made of the knownprinciple illustrated in FIG. 5. In this Figure it is assumed that theradiation spot is observed in the direction of the ongoing beam b inFIG. 1. It has been assumed that the write spot moves to the right at aspeed VE with respect to the information plane. At the instant t₀ thecentre of the write spot V_(w) is at the position A. At that moment theexternal magnetic field has the direction of the arrow M₂ in FIG. 1 andthe entire circular area under the radiation spot is magnetized in thatdirection. At the instant t₁ the centre of the radiation spot V_(w) hasreached the point B. Then the direction of the magnetic field isreversed so that the area, which is now under the spot V_(w), ismagnetized in the direction M₁. Since the distance between B and A isconsiderably smaller than the diameter of the write spot, a large partof the area which was magnetized in the direction M₂ at the instantt_(O) is magnetized again in the original direction M₁. The result isthat only a small part, which is shaded in FIG. 5, of the area presentunder the write spot at the instant t₀ is magnetized in the direction M₂and forms an information area, while the rest of this area is erasedagain and is available for writing a subsequent information area. Thisinformation area is subsequently written by switching the magnetic fieldin the direction M₂ at the instant t₂, when the centre of the write spothas reached the position C, and by switching the magnetic field backagain in the direction M₁ at the instant t₃, when the centre of the spothas reached the position D. By switching the external magnetic field, inthe case of a write spot moving at a continuous speed relative to therecord carrier, in time intervals which are shorter than the timeinterval required to move the write spot over a distance which is equalto its diameter, information areas can be written whose dimension in thescanning direction is smaller than this dimension of the write spot.These information areas may have a dimension of, for example 0.35 μm inthe scanning or track direction, instead of the hitherto conventionaldimension of the order of 1 μm. Thus, the information density in thetrack direction can be increased considerably.

To be able to read these small information areas in a discriminatorymanner, a read spot must be used whose dimension in the track directionis of the same order as that of the information areas. To be able to usethe same objective system for forming this read spot and for forming thewrite spot, the wavelength of the read beam must be considerably smallerthan that of the write beam.

According to the invention the magneto-optical write and read apparatusmay be provided with a second radiation source which is composed of adiode laser and a non-linear optical crystal in which the frequency ofthe radiation emitted by the diode laser is doubled through thephenomenon which is known as "second harmonic generation" or "SHG".Doubling of the frequency of the laser radiation means halving thewavelength of this radiation. When using an infrared diode laseremitting a wavelength of the order of 800 nm, blue radiation with awavelength of the order of 400 nm is then obtained when using the secondharmonic generator. A beam of this wavelength can be focused by theobjective system 12 to a read spot whose diameter is half that of thewrite spot.

As has been noted in the Article "Blue Laser ups CD Density" in"Electronics", August 1988, p. 48 in which the use of the blue diodelaser module for reading prerecorded audio discs known under the name of"Compact Disc" has been described, the efficiency of the second harmonicgenerator is small anti consequently the intensity of the blue laserradiation is low so that this diode laser module cannot be used forwriting information in an optical record carrier. Therefore, this lasermodule cannot be used in a magneto-optical write-read apparatus in whichonly one radiation spot is used.

Since, according to the invention, separate radiation spots are used forwriting and reading, the blue laser module can be used for obtaining theread spot. The two radiation spots, which are both supplied by diodelasers, can now be optimized for their specific functions, i.e. thewrite spot has such an intensity that the material of the informationlayer can be sufficiently heated therewith and the read spot issufficiently small to be able to read the narrow information areas in adiscriminatory manner.

FIG. 6 shows diagrammatically an embodiment of the apparatus accordingto the invention. The paramount difference with the apparatus of FIG. 1is that two radiation sources are used. The first source, which consistsof a diode laser 40 mounted on a cooling block 41, supplies the writebeam b_(w). This laser is, for example an AlGaAs diode laser which emitsradiation at a wavelength of the order of 800 nm. The second radiationsource is constituted by a second diode laser 42, for example of thesame type as the laser 40, and a frequency-doubling element 43, forexample a Lithium-Niobate crystal. The elements 42 and 43 may be mountedon a separate cooling block 44, or on the same cooling block as thelaser 40. Lenses for efficiently coupling the laser radiation in thefrequency doubler may be arranged between the diode laser 42 and thefrequency doubler 43. The blue laser module may comprise a filter toprevent infrared radiation from leaving the module.

As is shown in FIG. 6, the write beam b_(w) is focused to a write spotV_(w) and the read beam b_(r) is focused to a read spot V_(r) ', thelatter being, for example half as large as the write spot and having aconsiderably lower intensity.

In the embodiment of FIG. 6 an objective system 35 is used whichsimultaneously fulfils the function of the collimator lens 11 of FIG. 1and which moreover renders the lens 19 superfluous. The apparatusaccording to the invention may also be composed of the elements shown inFIG. 1, or it may have a different construction, provided that two beamsof different wavelengths and different intensities are focused in thisapparatus to a write spot and a read spot, respectively, on theinformation layer 3. Instead of an AlGaAs diode laser having awavelength of 800 nm, a different semiconductor laser with a differentwavelength may be used alternatively.

The invention may also be realised with one diode laser only. Then anadjustable deflection element must be incorporated in the radiation pathfor passing or not passing the laser beam through the frequency-doublingelement. FIGS. 7a and 7b show two embodiments of a part of an apparatusincluding such an element. In FIG. 7a this element is an acousto-opticalor an electro-optical deflection element 45. If this element isenergized with a voltage V_(c), a diffraction grating is formed thereinwhich diffracts the incident laser beam b towards the frequency-doublingelement 43. The beam b_(r) emerging from this element then has awavelength which is half that of the beam b. If the element 45 is notenergized, the laser beam is not deflected and this beam is passed as awrite beam b_(w) with the original wavelength to the objective system35. Of course the read beam b_(r) should also pass through the objectivesystem.

In the embodiment of FIG. 7b a mirror 47 is arranged behind the diodelaser 41, which mirror can be moved into and out of the radiation path,as is denoted by the arrow 48. If the mirror has been moved out of theradiation path, the laser beam b is passed as a write beam b_(w) to theobjective system 35. If the mirror has been moved into the radiationpath, the laser beam b is passed to the frequency-doubling element 43,for example via a second mirror 49, and a read beam b_(r) is obtained.

A filter 46 may be arranged in the path of the laser beam b_(r), whichfilter either completely blocks the red laser radiation which may stillemerge from the element 43 or attenuates it in such a manner that itcannot affect the written information. In the latter case the red laserradiation can be used during reading for generating a tracking-errorsignal and/or a focus-error signal in the way as is known for write andread apparatuses for optical record carriers.

Also in the apparatus using two diode lasers, the red laser radiationcan be used for generating the said error signals when reading with bluelaser radiation. Moreover, the blue laser radiation can be used forgenerating the error signals during writing with red laser radiation.

It has been assumed in the foregoing that the write laser supplies acontinuous beam. However, this laser is preferably pulse-controlled, acontrol signal being applied to the control circuit of this laser, whichsignal is zero at the instant when the magnetic field is switched in ananalogous way as in FIG. 1. This has the advantage that the edges of thewritten domains 4 are defined more sharply so that the informationsignal which has been read contains less noise. Due to the shorterinformation areas this measure has an even more favourable effect thanin a conventional magneto-optical record carrier and apparatus. A pulsedlaser, must supply a higher peak power than with a continuously operatedlaser.

So far, only an increase of the information density in the trackdirection has been described. A second important aspect of the presentinvention relates to the increase of the information density in thedirection transverse to the track direction.

The small read spot V_(r) ' shown in FIG. 4 is utilized to an optimumextent only in the track direction for reading short information areas,i.e. areas having a small dimension in the track direction. Since theread spot V_(r) ' is also small in the direction transverse to the trackdirection, narrow information areas, i.e. areas with a small dimensionperpendicular to the track direction can also be read with this spot.According to the invention this possibility is used and furthermorenarrow information areas are written by making use of a record carrierwith a previously provided structure of narrow tracks and by writing theinformation areas in these tracks. It is ensured that the magneticdomains are substantially only formed within a track. A first embodimentof a record carrier which is suitable for this purpose comprises arelief track pattern and a "bubble" material, for example an amorphousalloy of gadolinium, terbium and iron.

FIG. 8 shows an embodiment of such a record carrier. This Figure shows asmall part of the magneto-optical record carrier in a radialcross-section. The record carrier comprises a transparent substrate 2 ofglass or a synthetic material on which a layer 50 is provided in whichthe preformed tracks are present in the form of grooves 51. If thesubstrate is made of synthetic material, it is not necessary to providea separate layer 50 and the grooves may be present in the substrate. Thegrooves are separated from each other by considerably wider intermediateareas or intermediate tracks 52. The layer 50 comprises, for example atransparent cured polymer, such as polycarbonate (PC) in which thegrooves 50 are provided by means of the known replica technique which isused in the manufacture of "Compact Discs".

The layer 50 is coated with a dielectric layer 53 which separates thelayer 50 from the magneto-optical layer 54. The surface of the layer 54has the same structure as the layer 50 and is thus provided with tracks30' and intermediate tracks 31. The layer 54 comprises, for example anamorphous alloy of iron, gadolinium and terbium and is internallymagnetized in a direction perpendicularly to the record carrier surface.This layer is coated with a reflecting layer 55, for example ofaluminium on which a protective layer 56 of, for example SiO₂ or alacquer layer may be provided.

As described in, for example the above-mentioned Article in "J. Appl.Phys." 64 (1) July 1988, pp. 252-262, when writing in a "bubble"material, firstly a small magnetic core is formed in the centre of theradiation spot where the energy is largest, at the conventionaldiffraction-limited radiation spot with a Gaussian intensitydistribution. The wall of this core is moved outwards so that the coregrows to a magnetic domain. However, the walls of the grooves 30' form abarrier against this expansion, especially if the transition betweensuch a wall and the bottom of a groove has a considerable kink. Toovercome this barrier, extra energy would have to be supplied. Since thetime interval, in which the write spot is present at the position to bewritten and in which the magnetic field has a given direction, is soshort that little energy can leak from the centre of the area to bewritten to the exterior within this time interval, the magnetic domainis enclosed, as it were, within the track and the Blockwall of themagnetic domain coincides with a groove wall.

In analogy with FIG. 4, FIG. 9 shows a small part of a written track ofthe record carrier according to FIG. 8. The length, in the trackdirection 32, of the information areas 4 is the same as that in FIG. 4,but the width of the information areas is smaller than that in FIG. 4due to the chosen smaller width of the grooves 30' of FIG. 8. Thisgroove width is, for example 0.5 μm and the width of the intermediatetracks 31, is, for example 0.6 μm so that the information density in theradial direction is increased by a factor of 1.5 with respect to that ofknown record carriers having a groove width of 0.6 μm and anintermediate track width of 1 μm.

The preformed tracks may not only be formed by grooves in the layer 54but also by ridges on this layer.

When using a relief track structure with a given track depth or height,these tracks can also be used during writing and reading for generatinga tracking-error signal in the manner as described in U.S. Pat. No.4,363,116 for an inscribable optical record carrier.

In a second embodiment of a record carrier in which narrow informationareas can be written the previously provided, narrowed tracks have agreater magnetization sensitivity than the rest of the informationlayer. The material within the tracks may then have a different chemicalcomposition than the material outside the tracks. FIG. 10 shows a partof such a record carrier in a radial cross-section. This record carrieris distinguished from that of FIG. 8 in that the layer 50 with thegrooves is absent and in that the magneto-optical layer 54 is flat. Thislayer comprises strips whose chemical composition slightly deviates fromthe rest of the layer, which strips constitute the tracks 30'.

FIG. 11 is a radial cross-section of a part of a record carrier in whichthe tracks 30' have a greater magnetization sensitivity than theirambience 31 because the magneto-optical layer 54 is thinner at the areaof the tracks than outside the tracks. Consequently the material withinthe tracks is brought to the desired temperatures at an earlier instantthan the material in the rest of the layer so that the magnetizationdirection is only reversed within the tracks at a given speed of thewrite spot with respect to the record carrier.

FIGS. 10 and 11 also show that the protective layer 56 may be a thickerlacquer layer with a flat upper side instead of the thin SiO₂ layer witha profile, shown in FIG. 8.

We claim:
 1. A record carrier having a magneto-optical information layerin which information can be written and subsequently read therefrom bymeans of diode laser radiation, which radiation is focused to adiffraction-limited radiation spot on the information layer, andmovement of said radiation spot and the record carrier relative to eachother; information being written by locally changing, at the location ofthe radiation spot formed by a diode laser write beam, the direction ofmagnetization of areas formed in the information layer by said writebeam in combination with a magnetic field; the information areas thusformed being read by detection of the variation, caused by theinformation areas, of the state of polarization of a diode laser readbeam;each of the information areas is smaller in the direction ofmovement than the write radiation spot, and are written by switching themagnetic field in time intervals which are shorter than the timeinterval required to move the record carrier and the radiation spot withrespect to each other over a distance which is equal to the dimension ofthe radiation spot in the direction of movements; the wavelength of thediode laser read beam is shorter than that of the diode laser writebeam; and the record carrier has a structure of recording tracks onwhich the information areas are formed, the width of the informationareas being determined by the width of the recording tracks.
 2. A recordcarrier as claimed in claim 1, characterized in that the period of thetrack structure, transverse to the track direction, is smaller than 1.4μm.
 3. A record carrier as claimed in claim 1 or 2, characterized inthat the track structure is a relief structure and in that themagneto-optical layer has a constant thickness and comprises a materialin which during writing information areas are formed by magnetic domainswhich starts from a core and expand outwardly.
 4. A record carrier asclaimed in claim 3, characterized in that the magneto-optical materialis an alloy of gadolinium, terbium and iron.
 5. A record carrier asclaimed in claim 1, characterized in that the magneto-optical layerwithin the tracks has a greater sensitivity to magnetization thanoutside the tracks.
 6. A record carrier as claimed in claim 5,characterized in that the magneto-optical layer within a track has adifferent chemical composition than outside a track.
 7. A record carrieras claimed in claim 5, characterized in that the thickness of themagneto-optical layer within a track is different from that outside atrack.
 8. An apparatus for performing the method as claimed in claim 1,comprising a radiation source for supplying a scanning beam, anobjective system for focusing the scanning beam to a scanning spot onthe information layer, a magnetic system for generating a magnetic fieldat the location of the scanning spot and a radiation-sensitive detectionsystem for converting radiation from the record carrier into electricsignals, characterized in that the radiation source is a compositesource for supplying a write radiation beam having a first wavelengthand a first intensity for forming a write radiation spot, and forsupplying a read radiation beam having a second wavelength, which isshorter than the first wavelength, and a second intensity, which issmaller than the first intensity, for forming a read radiation spotwhich is smaller than the write radiation spot.
 9. An apparatus asclaimed in claim 8, characterized in that the radiation source isconstituted by a first diode laser for supplying a write radiation beamhaving a first wavelength and by an assembly of a second diode laser andan optical frequency-doubling element for supplying a read radiationbeam having a second wavelength of the order of half the firstwavelength.
 10. An apparatus as claimed in claim 8, characterized inthat the radiation source is constituted by one diode laser, acontrollable deflection element arranged in the path of the diode laserbeam for selecting one of two radiation paths for tile diode laser beam,and a frequency-doubling element arranged in one of the two radiationpaths.